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In this study we are comparing two forms of radiotherapy. This study is being done because it is not clear at present time whether intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) can reduce side effects of radiotherapy compared to standard radiotherapy (called 3D-Conformal Radiotherapy).

Further study details as provided by Ottawa Hospital Research Institute:

Primary Outcome Measures:

Late rectal toxicity from radiotherapy of the prostate [ Time Frame: Month 1, 4, 8, every 4 months during year 1-2, then every 6 months during years 2-5, then every 12 months until disease progression ]

Outcome measurements will be determined by physical exam and bloodwork.

Secondary Outcome Measures:

Acute rectal toxicity, Acute and late bladder toxicity, Disease specific survival at 5 years, Biochemical relapse free survival at 5 years, Local control rates at 5 years, Quality of Life [ Time Frame: Month 1, 4, 8, every 4 months during year 1-2, then every 6 months during years 2-5, then every 12 months until disease progression ]

Outcome measurements will be determined by physical exam and bloodwork.

Radical radiation therapy plays an important role in the management of prostate cancer, yielding comparable long-term outcomes to surgery. Unfortunately, long term disease free survival data using PSA criteria have shown that less than 50% of high-risk patients are free of disease at 10 years. To improve on the results of conventional dose radiotherapy dose escalation with three-dimensional conformal radiation has been employed. Due to the irregular shape of the prostate and the variable motion of this organ there is substantial radiation of adjacent normal surrounding tissue during treatment which results in radiation-induced toxicity. Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) is a new form of radiation therapy. Preliminary evidence suggests that IMRT improves the dose distribution during radiation therapy of the prostate. The hypothesis of this study is that IMRT delivered using Helical Tomotherapy can reduce late toxicity of radical radiotherapy as compared to three-dimensional conformal radiation (3DCRT) in high-risk prostate cancer patients.

Eligibility

Information from the National Library of Medicine

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